Pleased to meet you meat to please you
said the butcher’s sign in the window in the village.

–from “Domestic Violence” (collected in Domestic Violence) by Eavan Boland.

Shyla Bruno was doing a review of Philip Roth’s newest book, and Craig said, “You going with ‘Goodbye, Portnoy’ for the head?”
“No – listen to this – Allen came up with ‘The Gripes of Roth.’ ”
Craig waited a moment and then issued one of his patented, arch, stagey chuckles. “Bingo,” he said.

–from “City of Refuge” by Tom Piazza, which I bought after I read this (I myself am NOT much of a Lahiri fan) and am sooo enjoying. Enjoying in a tearful, maybe won’t read in public because I might start bawlin’, kind-of way.